Fabric slitting and folding machine



y- 1942- H. B. HATHAWAY FABRIC SLITTING AND FOLDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 11,- 1940 & IINVENTOR zfibfiauw g M I ATTORNE 5 May 12, 1942. H. B. HATHAWAY FABRIC SLITTING AND FOLDING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 k T m w m Z W Z J? u l x O o r m m 0 o 5 m Wk W m Q u M J k W. H N Y m 4 \K A Wm M w N .9

May-12, 1942. H. B.-HATHAWAY FABRIC SLITTING AND FOL DING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Filed April 11, 1940 May 12, 1942. H. B. HATHAWAY FABRIC SLITTING AND FOLDING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1940 5 Sfieets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR BY fizzieri .5. kilnzwng M MM 9- ATTOR 5Y5. I

May' 12, 1942. H. ATHAWAY- 2,283,060

FABRIC SLITTING AND FOLDING MACHINE Filed April 11', 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Patented May 12,1942

AES

'rN rice FABRIC SLITTING AND FOLDING MACHINE Hubert B. Hathaway, Windsor, Ontario, Canada,

assignor to L. A. Young Spring & Wire Corporation, Detroit, Mich,

Michigan a corporation of Application April 11, 1940, Serial No. 329,024 3 Claims. (01. 270-86) I and it is frequently necessary that the fabric strips be folded prior to use. It has been common practice to take burlap or muslin from a bale or roll and slit it on one machine into one or more strips of a substantially predetermined width. If it were desirable that the strips be folded it has been common practice to fold the strips on a different machine thereby making it necessary to handle the material a greater number of times than is desirable.

An object of this invention is therefore to provide a single machine capable of slittingfabric material into a plurality of strips of suitable width and fold the strips in a desired manner thereby eliminating the necessity of handling the material more than once. Y

Another object is to provide a machine which will automatically slit fabric material into a .number of strips of a desired width, and fold the strips uniformly in a more economical and rapid manner than has heretofore been possible. :1-

A further object is to provide an improved machine capable ofslitting fabric material into any desired number of strips and folding the strips in any desired manner and rolling the folded material on suitable rolls staggered with rreference to each other in such a manner that one roll of folded material does not interfere with another roll.

Yet a still further object of the invention is to provide an improved drive. mechanism for a fabric slitting and folding machine wherein a cutting element is resiliently urged intofengagement with .a roll to slit the fabric material passing over the roll.

Another object is to provide a device for marking the fabric material with part or order numbers to indicate the particularpurpose for which the fabric material is intended for use.

A still further object is to provide an improved drive mechanism for a slitting and folding machine wherein the various operations performed are accurately timed and are driven from a single source of power.

A further object is to provide means for storthat it will not clog or interfere with the operation of the device.

A still further object is to provide adjustable resilient means for varying the pressure exerted by a cutting element on fabric material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the foregoing character for automatically slitting and folding one or more strips of fabric from a single relatively wide strip of the material, and one whereby the width and number of strips out from a given piece of material may be varied at will.

A further object is to provide a machine wherein a plurality of fabric folding units may be shifted relative'to each other to permit of the use of any desired number of folding devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide tion will be apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, submitted for purposes of, illustration only, and not intended to define the scope of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the subjoined claims.

characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views: 3

Fig. 1 is afront elevational view of a machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows. I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view, partly Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially 7 along the lin 88 of Fig. '7, lookingin the direction of the arrows.

ing excess or waste material in'such a manner .35 Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken In the drawings wherein similar reference substantially along the line 9-9 of Fig. '7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. is a perspective view of'a piece of material, such as burlap, whichhas been cut and folded by the machine of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing a modified form of cutting or pinking wheel or disk embodying the invention; and

Fig. 12 isa view similar to Fig. 10 showing a piece of folded material, such as cotton, which has been cut or pinked by the device of Fig. 11.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and'arrangementof parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed :herein beyondtherequirements of the prior art.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be observed that ilexible material such for example as burlap or -mus1in fabric material 2 may be withdrawn from a bale or roll 3 and passed over suitable guide rolls 4 mounted on a generally vertically extending standard 5. The fabric material 2 after passing over the guide rollers 4 is directed to another guide roller 6 having spaced fabric positioning flanges 1 carried by a vertically extending standard member 8 which supports a portion of the slitting and folding machine. After passing over the roller 6 the fabric 2 passes around a pair ofspaced auxiliary guide rolls ID and is thereafter directed around a driven roller I 2 mounted on a shaft 13 and having a suitable resilient outer surface I4 of rubber or other suitable material to increase the friction between the drive roller and the fabric material 2. After passing around the driven roller I2 the fabric material passes over a rotatable cylinder 16' mounted on a shaft l8 supported on the framework of the machine. clearly shown in Fig. 6 is carried at one end of an arm 22 pivotally mounted on a shaft 24 carried by the framework of the machine. g Means are provided to resiliently vary the force exerted by the cutting tool on the cylinder I5.

One desirable form of pressure varying means includes a spring 26 which may be of the leaf type having an actuating member 28 adapted to engage an eccentrically mounted cylinder 30 mounted on a shaft 32. Manually operable means such for example as a lever 34 may be provided to oscillate the eccentrically mounted cylinder 30 to vary the force exerted by the spring 26 urging the cutting element 29 into engagement with the cylinder I 6.

As the fabric material 2 passes over the cylinder IS the cutting element 20 yieldingly urged into engagement with the cylinder [6 slits or cuts the fabric into strips of a desired width.

A marking device may be employed to imprint part or order numbers on the fabric to indicate the purpose for which it is intended to use the fabric material. A roller 3| mounted on a shaft 33 having. a raised lettered portion is disposed adjacent the drive roller l2. and may be driven by frictional engagement with the fabric 2 passing over the roller l2 or may be driven by suitable power transmitting means operably connected to a driven part. Means may be provided to ink Acutting tool '28 more w the raised lettered portion of the roll each time the roller 3| revolves.

After passing from the cylinder It the fabric 2 may be directed over a folding device having a substantially fiat surface 36 positioned to receive the strip fabric material as it comes from the cylind'er lfi and cutting elements 20. The flat surface 36 over which the fabric 2 passes is defined by converging angularly inclined edge portions 38 terminating in a substantially V-shaped apex or end portion 42. Side wall or guide members are positioned along the angularly disposed edge portions 38 and are preferably substantially perpendicular to the flat surface 36. As the fabric 2 is directed across the flat surface 36 of the folding device, the edges of the fabric pass over the angularly inclined edge por-' tions 38 and lie adjacent the guide members 40- whereupon the fabric material is folded as illustrated in Fig. 7. Suitable guide bars or rollers 44 may be positioned beyond the apex 42 of the folding device to receive the folded fabric and guide it to spaced storage reels 4.3 carried by the framework of the machine. In passing to the storage reels 46, the folded fabric material preferably passes over and around a pair of spaced rolls 45 and 41 which assist in holding it in the folded condition.

It will be understood that if desired the flat surface 38 may be dispensed with and angularly inclined bars or rods positioned along the edge portions 38. The side or guide roll members 40 may also be dispensed with if desired. The apex 42 of the folding device may, as illustrated, be positioned to fold the strip fabric material in the middle, or if desired it may be positioned to fold the strip fabric material nearer one of its edges than, the other. A straight cutting tool 20 as illustrated in Fig. 6 may be employed or a pinking cutter as illustrated at 2! in Fig. 11 may be employedto pink the edges of certain types of fabric material to prevent the fabric from ravelling.

In the operation of this device it is of course possibleto'slit fabric material into a plurality of strips of substantially uniform width, or into a plurality of strips of different width. A single strip of a substantially predetermined width may be formed by positioning a single cutting ele-- ment in such a manner as to trim the strip to size by cutting off the excess material, or a plurality of cutters may be employed to cut a plurality of strips.

The folding devices may be staggered vertically orhorizontally in such a manner that the folded material may be Wrapped on a plurality of spaced reels s0 positioned as not to interfere with each other. The excess material, illustrated by the strip of Fig. 3, may be wound upona shaft 52 or may be passed over the shaft 52 to a suitable hopper or storage bin in such a manner that the waste will not become tangled with the folded strips. If desired a weight in the form of a roller may be positioned to ride on the shaft 52 to guide the strip 50 and prevent it from becoming tangled with other parts of the machine.

A single source of power such for example as an electric motor56 may be employed to drive the entire machine. The motor 56 may be provided with a sprocket 58 to receive a chain 60 to drive a sprocket wheel 62 mounted on a shaft 64. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the shaft 64 extends the full width of the machine and is provided at each end with power transmitting means such as pulleys 36. operably connected through belts azeaoeo 68 and pulleys 1!! to drive the shaft 52 which receives the scrap or waste fabric material 50;

The shaft 52 is provided with spaced pulleys l2 operably connected through belts 14 and pulleys 16 to drive spaced shafts 18 which support and drive the fabric storage rolls 4% which receives the folded fabric material.

Additional pulleys 80 carried by the shaft 52 operate through belts 82 and pulleys B4 to drive a shaft 86 which may also be used to roll up or otherwise dispose of unused or waste fabric material, it being noted that the shafts 52 and B6 are in different planes to minimize the possibility of the waste material becoming tangled.

The end of the shaft 64 remote from the driving motor 55 is provided with a sprocket 88 which drives a chain 90 to rotate a sprocket gear 92 fixed to the shaft l3 which carries the drive roll [2. The chain 90 also engages a sprocket gear 95 fixed to the shaft [8 which carries the cylinder [6 against which the cutting element 20 bears to slitthe fabric. 7

The various sprocket gears of the drive mechanism may be varied in size to drive the various elements in synchronization so that the fabric 2 I will proceed through the various operations smoothly and with uninterrupted speed. As illustrated the fabric may be driven at a plurality of spaced points, however it will be understood that the number of spaced drive members may be varied either by increasing or decreasing the number of driving members without departing from the spirit of my invention.

If desired, the fabric folding device may be employed without the fabric slitting mechanism, to fold fabric material which has already been cut to a desired width. The folded fabric material may be fed directly to pocket sewing ma chines which may be of anydesired form such for example as that disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 329,025. Where the fabric slitting mechanism is dispensed with, suitable guide means may be employed to guide each of the strips of fabric material to its respective folding device. These guide means may be provided with manually operable means to align the fabric with any desired portion of the folding mechanism so that the fabric may be folded in the middle or nearer one edge than another. The folding devices may also be movable transversely if desired.

Certain of the fabric drive elements are illustrated herein as being drivenby belt and pulley mechanism. It will be obvious of course that other types of drive mechanisms such as chain and sprocket mechanisms or gear and shaft drive means may be employed if desired without deviating from my invention.

I claim: i

1. In a fabric cutting and foldingmachine, a guide roll positioned to receive fabric material from a bale or roll, a guide member associated with the guide roll, a fabric driving member, a rotatable member positioned to receive the fabric, cutting elementsassociated with the rotatable member to slit the fabric into a plurality of strips of a substantially predetermined width, folding devices having angularly inclined side walls terminating in an apex over which the strips from the cutting elements may pass, spaced rolls to receive the folded fabric, a shaft to receive scrap fabric material, a single source of power, and drive means from the single source of power to drive the driving member, the rotatable member, the spaced folded fabric receiving rolls and the scrap fabric receiving shaft.

2. In a fabric slitting and folding machine, a roller positioned to receive the fabric from a bale or roll, a-driving roller,,a pair of spaced guide rollers interposed between the first named roller and the driving roller, a cutting roller spaced from the driving roller, a shaft spaced from the cutting roller, a cutting blade pivotally mounted on said shaft and engaging the cutting roller, resilient means urging the cutting blade into engagement with the cutting roller, and manually operable means including an eccentrically mounted cylinder to vary the force exerted by the resilient means. I

3. In a fabric slitting and foldingmachine, a roller positioned to receive the fabric from a bale or roll, a driving roller, a pair of spaced guide. rollers interposed between the first named roller and the driving roller, a cutting roller spaced from the driving roller, a plurality of cutting.

blades engaging the cutting roller, resilient means urging the cutting blades into engagement with the cutting roller, manually operable means i to vary the force exerted by the resilient means,

foldingdevices having angularly inclined edge portions positioned to receive fabric from the- 7 cutting roller, storage rolls positioned to receive folded fabric, shafts supporting said rolls, a single source of power, driving means between said source of power and the driving and cutting rolls, and. driving means between the driving roll and storage roll shafts;

HUBERT'B. HATHAWAY. 

